Architecture

When the architect of the project, Renzo Piano was first found in the area where the SNFCC was to be built and faced the urban and natural landscape, he realized that the contact between the inhabitants and the sea had been lost and the district was separated from the sea with the coastal road. Renzo Piano was inspired by the name of the local area (Kallithea which means literally ‘’beautiful view’’) and decided to give back to the local people the beautiful view towards the sea. This idea was implemented conceptually in the most simple and effective way by lifting one side of a piece of paper and showing the gradual rise of the land towards the sea.

Biodiversity

Occupying 85% of SNFCC’s total area, Stavros Niarchos Park stretches over an area of 21 hectares. It is home to a rich variety of flora, including olive trees, evergreen shrubs, carob trees, laurels, cypress trees, as well as an extensive selection of indigenous Greek aromatic plants. Plants were selected and arranged with an eye to providing a variety of seasonal blooming and creating exciting color schemes and textures. The Park includes 16 tree species and 161 shrub species, a variety of grasses and bulbs. Greece’s strong horticultural tradition is celebrated in the open, sunlit Mediterranean Garden. The plant palette alone makes the garden a destination: evergreen and other endemic plants such as boxwood, coronilla, cistus, and lentisc, salvia, oregano, thyme, lavender, rosemary, roses and euphorbias – all add to the sensual pleasure of a visit. Each month brings a new color, and each season introduces a different combination of flowers or foliage.

Playgrounds

The liveliest and most fun places in parks all over the world, playgrounds are dedicated to children of all ages, hosting endless carefree hours of fun, sports and socializing, bustling hubs of activity and creativity. Designed in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, the facility is provisioned with wood-based equipment derived from logging based on sustainable forestry. Rather than with a typical fence, SNFCC Playgrounds are enclosed by shrubs, enabling children to discover their own boundaries and the world in a safe environment.

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